Sources of Health Insurance
and Characteristics of the Uninsured

Mid-Atlantic States, 1999

New York

The percentage of New York's
nonelderly population (under age 65) without health
insurance coverage in 1999 was 18.5 percent. This was
higher than the national rate, 17.5 percent. New York's
nonelderly population also had a lower rate of
employment-based coverage, 62.1 percent, than the
national rate, 65.8 percent.

Children living in New
York--infants through age 17--had a lower rate of
employment-based health insurance coverage, 57.1 percent,
than the national rate, 61.5 percent. The uninsured rate
for children in New York, 11.5 percent, was lower than
the national rate, 13.9 percent.

Children living in families with
incomes just above the federal poverty level--100 percent
to 149 percent of poverty--were most likely to be
uninsured, 26.2 percent, and children in families with
incomes at 400 percent or more of the federal poverty
level were least likely to be uninsured, 5.0 percent.

New York workers had a slightly
lower rate of employment-based health insurance coverage,
72.1 percent, than the national rate, 73.3 percent. Also,
54.6 percent of New York workers had employment-based
health insurance coverage in their own name (meaning they
were the primary beneficiaries), compared with 55.6
percent for the nation.

Larger firms were more likely than
smaller firms to provide coverage: 66.0 percent of New
York workers in firms with 1,000 or more employees had
coverage in their own name, compared with 22.5 percent of
workers in firms with fewer than 10 employees.

Among New York workers, the most
likely to have employment-based health insurance in their
own name were those in finance, insurance, and real
estate, 75.9 percent, and in government, 74.1 percent.
Government workers had the lowest uninsured rate in the
state, 7.4 percent, followed by finance, insurance, and
real estate workers, 11.5 percent. Workers in
construction and in wholesale/retail trade had the
highest uninsured rates in the state, 32.4 percent and
31.4 percent, respectively.

New Jersey

The percentage of New Jersey's
nonelderly population (under age 65) without health
insurance coverage in 1999 was 15.0 percent. This was
lower than the national rate, 17.5 percent. New Jersey's
nonelderly population also had a higher rate of
employment-based coverage, 72.8 percent, than the
national rate, 65.8 percent.

Children living in New
Jersey--infants through age 17--had a higher rate of
employment-based health insurance coverage, 70.8 percent,
than the national rate, 61.5 percent. The uninsured rate
for children in New Jersey, 9.8 percent, was lower than
the national rate, 13.9 percent.

Children in families with incomes
below the federal poverty level were most likely to be
uninsured, 26.9 percent, and children in families with
incomes at 400 percent or more of the federal poverty
level were least likely to be uninsured, less than 5.2
percent.

New Jersey workers had a higher
rate of employment-based health insurance coverage, 78.6
percent, than the national rate, 73.3 percent. Also, 59.5
percent of New Jersey workers had employment-based health
insurance coverage in their own name (meaning they were
the primary beneficiaries), compared with 55.6 percent
for the nation.

Larger firms were more likely than
smaller firms to provide coverage: 68.4 percent of New
Jersey workers in firms with 1,000 or more employees had
coverage in their own name, compared with 29.1 percent of
workers in firms with fewer than 10 employees.

Among New Jersey workers, the most
likely to have employment-based health insurance in their
own name were those in government, 81.1 percent, and in
manufacturing, 74.4 percent. Workers in government had
the lowest uninsured rate in the state, 5.5 percent,
followed by those in finance, insurance, and real estate,
6.9 percent. Workers in construction and in
agriculture/mining had the highest uninsured rates in the
state at 31.1 percent and 30.7 percent, respectively.

Pennsylvania

The percentage of Pennsylvania's
nonelderly population (under age 65) without health
insurance coverage in 1999 was 11.0 percent. This was
lower than the national rate, 17.5 percent.
Pennsylvania's nonelderly population also had a higher
rate of employment-based coverage, 72.7 percent, than the
national rate, 65.8 percent.

Children living in
Pennsylvania--infants through age 17--had a higher rate
of employment-based health insurance coverage, 69.9
percent, than the national rate, 61.5 percent. The
uninsured rate for children in Pennsylvania, 7.6 percent,
was below the national rate, 13.9 percent.

Children living in families with
incomes below the federal poverty level were most likely
to be uninsured, 15.2 percent, and children in families
with incomes at 400 percent or more of the federal
poverty level were least likely to be uninsured, 3.8
percent.

Pennsylvania workers had a higher
rate of employment-based health insurance coverage, 79.8
percent, than the national rate, 73.3 percent. Also, 58.2
percent of Pennsylvania workers had employment-based
health insurance coverage in their own name (meaning they
were the primary beneficiaries), compared with 55.6
percent for the nation.

Larger firms were more likely than
smaller firms to provide coverage: 66.6 percent of
Pennsylvania workers in firms with 1,000 or more
employees had coverage in their own name, compared with
34.3 percent of workers in firms with fewer than 10
employees.

Among Pennsylvania workers, the
most likely to have employment-based health insurance in
their own name were those in transportation,
communications, and utilities, 78.6 percent, and in
government, 78.3 percent. Transportation, communications,
and utilities workers had the lowest uninsured rate in
the state, 5.0 percent, followed by workers in finance,
insurance, and real estate at 5.1 percent. Workers in
construction and in wholesale/retail trade had the
highest uninsured rates in the state at 25.1 percent and
19.6 percent, respectively.